Overview

• Dmitry Bakanov said Russia is accelerating a Bureau 1440–built low-Earth-orbit broadband constellation intended as a domestic alternative to SpaceX’s service.
• He reported that several test satellites have been inspected in orbit and that production models were modified based on those results.
• Roscosmos says an initial mission carrying about 16 satellites is planned by the end of 2025, with Russian outlets pointing to a December start to deployment.
• A draft plan cited by RBC pegs the program’s cost near $5 billion and assigns Bureau 1440 hundreds of spacecraft this decade under the Rassvet (Project Dawn) effort.
• Officials position the network as a sovereignty play tied to wartime communications needs, though Russia remains far behind Starlink’s thousands of active satellites and faces steep scaling and talent challenges.